nichols



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. 'H. NICHOLS.

FIRE ESCAPE Patented Feb. 3,

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES (No Model.\ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. H. NICHOLS. FIRE ESCAPE.

0 Y m d e m m P United drarns Parent tries.

ROBERT H. NICHOLS, OF AYLESFORD, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA.

FIRE ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,669, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed June 29, 1883.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. NIonoLs, of Aylesford, in the county of Kings, Province ot'Nova Scotia, and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention consists of the combinations of parts and their construction, substantially as hereinafter fully setforth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of my improved fire escape, showing the same partly raised. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the lower part of the same. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line a: a", Fig. 2. Fig. i is a longitudinal ele vation of the lower part of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of the lower end of the additional ladder adapted to be raised by the endless ladder. Fig. 6 is a side view of the ladder on its truck. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the lat'ltiler-brakc checking device.

The sides or rails A of the ladder support or frame consist of light frame-work of strong wood, suitably braced and stiffened, and at each end of the ladderframe a drum, B, is journaled, on each end of which a grooved notched wheel, (1, is mounted, over which an endless chain ladder, D, passes, the rungs E of which are united by chains or cables F, which pass into grooves in the notched wheels 0, the ends of the rungs E passing into grooves a in the inner sides of the side rails of the ladder. The ladder is endless, and if the bottom drum B is turned in one direction or the other the upper part of the endless ladder will be moved upward or downward, and the lower or bottom part of the endless ladder will be moved in the inverse direction. i The bottom drum B can be turned by means of a levers, G, are pivoted to the lower ends of the side rails of the ladder, and are united at the outer ends by a platform, H, and at their inner ends they are provided with curved brake (No model.)

shoes J being connected to said levers by a common fulcrum or shaft, J, and adapted to be pressed against the peripheries of the notched wheels 0, whereby if a person steps on the platform H the brake-shoes J will be pressed against the peripheries of the said notched wheels, whereby the ladder will be locked in place, for if a load should rest on any part of the ladder that part ofthe ladder would nattr rally move downward, which is also desired for the purpose of lowering persons, &c.; but it is absolutely necessary that the ladder shall not descend too rapidly, and by means of the above-described levers and platform' a very powerful brake can be obtained, the power of which can be increased very easily by placing a greater weight on the platform H. On one end of the bottom drum B a ratchet-wheel, J, is mounted, and above the same a curved lever, K, is pivoted to the outer side of the side rail of the ladder-frame, which lever is provided with a curved lower end, K, adapted to be pressed against the edge of the wheel J, which lever also serves as a brake. The said lever K is provided with a tooth, L, against which the teeth of the ratchet-wheel J can catch if the lever K is swung down, whereby the said lever prevents the ladder from descending, and serves as a lock to keep the ladder in the desired position. The said lever thus acts as a brake and lock, and after the speed of the ladder has been checked by means of the same the ladder can be locked in the desired position. All that is necessary is to press the said lever downward. Two segmental or like pieces,l\I,are secured to the bottom edges of the two side rails near the lower ends of the same, and each of the said pieces M is provided with a segmental slot, N. To each piece M a lever, O, is pivoted by a pintle, a, at the center of the circle of the segmental slot N. Two guidepins, P and 1?, pass through each lever 0 into the segmental slot N, and the pintle l. is provided at its outer end with a crank-handle, P, and at its inner end with a nut or plate, Q, into which the threaded inner end of the pintle 1? passes,

so that it the crank-handles P are turned thenuts or plates Q will be pressed with great force against the inner surface of the pieces M, and will thus hold the levers O in the desired position on thepieces Mthat is, at the desired inclination to the side rails of the ladder. A shaft, R, is secured in the free ends I inclined as shown in Fig. 1 in full lines. If

of the levers O, and on the said shaft two wheels, S, are loosely mounted; or the wheels can be rigidly mounted on the shaft and the shaft can be j ournaled in the levers O. Chains T, fastened to the axle or shaft R, are also fastened to the drums J upon the ends of the shaft J of the brake-shoes J said chains passing over guide-pulleys secured to the ladder sides. Chains U are secured to the levers 0 near the shaft R, and their opposite ends are secured to the upper part of a frame, V, pivoted to the lower ends of the side bars of the ladder, and provided with a long upwardlyprojecting handle-rod, W, or handle-frame, which can be constructed in the same manner as the side rails of the ladder. The side rails of the ladder are each provided at the lower end with aspike or spur, X, adapted to enter the ground, and on which spikes the fraineV turns. The levers O are preferably bent outward toward. the free ends, so that their ends in which the shaft or axle R is held will be. a greater distance apart than the ends pivoted to the side bars of the ladder. A wheel, Y, is journaled on the upper end of each side rail ofthe ladder. Around the shaftJ aspring, m, may be coiled, the ends of which are secured to the brake-shoes J and to a wheel, H, secured fixedly about centrally upon the shaft J, and which is provided with a series of notches, h, with which a laterally-swinging lever, H can engage, which is pivoted on the bottom of the foot-board H. It will be noticed that upon the lowering of the ladder, together with the requisite movement or adjustment of arms 0, to which are indirectly connected the chains T, the slack of said chains will be compensated by the action of the springm, as the latter is thus acted upon in one direction through the action of the chains upon the shaft J carrying the wheel H, while upon the lowering of the ladder, together with the re quired adjustment or movement of the arms 0, the spring in acts to prevent the too rapid descent of the ladder or'retard its descending movement. In order to release the spring, the lever H must be moved laterally, so as to release the wheel H.

The ladder A can be provided with pivots n, projecting from the side rails, which piv- "ots rest in forks 0 on the end of a cross-bar, o, swiveled or pivoted by a pin, 0, on a frame, 1), resting on springs q, secured to and resting on journal-boxes q of a shaft, q", provided with wheels r, which shaft q is connected by a pole, r, with the axle B. On the frames 19 a platform, t, is secured for the driver and for implements used in extinguishing fires and saving lives. The platform tis provided with a draft-pole or tongue. When the ladder is raised, the pivots a pass out of the forks 0.

The operation is as follows: It occupies the position indicated in Fig. 6. If the ladder is to be raised, its upper end is first raised and its base end is depressed until the base end rests on the ground, and the ladder will be desired, the ladder can be used in this position for rescuing persons; but if it does not reach high enough the upper end of the frame or rod W is pulled in the direction of the arrow a, whereby the chains U will pull the shaft R in the same direction, thereby giving the levers O a greater inclination to the ladder, which is thus gradually raised. After the ladder has obtained the desired inclination, the levers O can be locked in position by drawing the nut or plate Q against the side pieces, N, by means of the crank-pintle P or other suitable locking devices. If the ladder is raised, the spurs X dig into the ground and prevent the ladder from slipping. If the ladder is raised against the side of a house, or is raised with the upper end resting against the wall of a house, the wheels Y roll up the wall and prevent the end of the ladder from catching on obstructions, and give the ladder an easy motion After the ladder has been raised, the persons wishing to descend simply step on the rungs of the ladder and the ladder carries them downward. If the endless ladder is to be locked in any desired position, the lever K is swung down, as described. Asit may happen that the upper end of the ladder cannot be raised sufficiently high to reach persons on the roofs of buildings, or in the upper stories of very high buildings, I have provided a ladder, b, which has the lower ends of its side pieces forked, so that the same can be placed on one of the rungs of the endless ladder, the rung passing into the forked ends of the side pieces of the ladder b. A short distance above the lower end of the ladder b it is provided with an inwardly-projecting hook, c, which is passed around or under one of the rungs E a short distance above the rung on which the lower end of the ladder b rests, so that by turning the bottom drum B the ladder b can be raised to the top of the endless ladder and will project considerable above the same.

As will be seen from the above description, ordinarily it is not necessary to provide de vices for turning the bottom drum B, as the IIO ladder need never be raised, and it descends by the weight of the person on the same, and if the ladder b is to be applied the endless ladder can be locked in position, and a fireman can ascend the endless ladder and place the ladder bin position at the upper end of the same; but if devices are provided for turning the bottonrdrum B, the ladder b can be secured to the lower part of the end less ladder, and can then be raised either by turning the bottom drum B or by pulling down on the rungs of the main ladder, whereby the ladder b will be raised very rapidly. In the same manner the end of a hose can very easily and rapidly be raised to the top of the ladder. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the ladderframe A, of the levers 0,. having the wheels S. and pivoted to side pieces, M, secured to the lower or base end of said frame, said side pieces also having segmental slots N, which receive adjusting and holding bolts P P and guide-pins P from said levers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the ladder-frame A, having the side pieces, M, provided with segmental slots N, of the levers 0, having the axle R, provided with wheels S, said levers having adjusting and holding bolts P P and guidepins P, and the frame V, resting upon the spikes Xat thelower end of the ladder-frame and connected by the chains U to said levers, and provided with a lever. W', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a ladder, of side pieces attached to the lower part of the same, which side pieces are provided with segmental slots, levers pivoted to the said side pieces, wheels held on the free ends of thelevers, and pintles passing through the levers into the segmental slots, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

at. The combination, with a ladder, of side pieces attached to the lower part of the same, which side pieces are provided with segmental slots, levers pivoted to the said side pieces, wheels held in thefree ends of the levers, pinlles passing through the levers into the segmental slots, and locking devicesprovided on the pintles for holding the levers at the desired inclination to the ladder, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with a ladder, of the side pieces, M, the levers Q, the wheels S, held in the free ends of the same, the nuts or plates Q, and the pintles P P, passed through the levers O and the slots N into the plates or nuts Q, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with a ladder, of the side pieces. M, having segmental slots N, of the levers O, pivoted to the side pieces, M, the wheels S, the frame V, pivoted to the bottom of the ladder, the rod or handle-frameW. and the chains U, connecting the frame V with the levers O, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with a ladder, of the side pieces, M, the levers O. pivoted to the same, the wheels S, held in the levers O, the frame V, the chains U, attached to the levers O and to the frame V, and a chain, T, secured to the axle of the wheels S at the lower end of the ladder, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with the fire-escape ladder A, the arms 0, the axle It, and the wheels S, of pivots projecting from the sides of the ladder, a forked frame for receiving the pivots, which forked frame is swiveled on a frame provided with wheels, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the fireescape ladder A, the arms 0, the axle R, and the wheels S, of the pivots a, and the forked frame 0 0, swiveled on frames p, resting on an axle mounted on wheels and provided with springs for supporting the frames 19, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

' 10. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the endless chain-ladder, of the levers G, having the brake-shoes J, with their shaft or fulcrum J, provided with a notched disk or wheel H, and a spring, m, connected to said shoes and shaft, and alever, H substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the endless chain ladder, of the levers G, having brakeshoes J,with their fulcrum or shaft J provided with a notched disk or wheel, H, and a spring, m, connected to said shoes and shaft, the lever H, and the foot-board H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The combination, with a ladder, of levers pivoted to the sides of the same, wheels held in the free ends of the said levers, and 9 spikes or prongs projecting from the lower ends of the ladder, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination, with a frame, of a drum journaled in each end of the same, a flexible endless ladder passing over said drums, and the lovers Gr. pivoted to the lower ends of the frame and connected at the outer ends to the platform H, and provided at the inner ends with brake-shoes J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

141. The combination, with a frame having side bars, A, each provided with two grooves, I10

, a, of the rungs E, the ends of which restin the grooves a, which rungs are united by a chain or cable,whereby an endless flexible ladder is formed, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

15, The combination, with a frame, .of a drum journalcd in each end of the same, an endless flexible ladder passed over the said drums, and of an additional ladder, 5, having forks formed at the lower ends of its side bars and provided with a hook, c, a short distance above its lower end, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the pur pose set forth.

16. The combination, with a frame having a drum journaled in each end, of a flexible endless ladder passed over the said drums, and of a ladder adapted to beheld on the said endless ladder, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

R. H. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

J. B. NEILY, PATRICK O. O. MOONEY. 

